QUESTION: How do I get rid of hand shock?
ANSWER: I am asked repeatedly about hand shock. You often notice this when shooting a longbow for the first time. After you have shot for a while, you will become less aware of this when you release the arrow. You are less likely to notice this when shooting a recurve, take-down recurve or even a take-down longbow. It is a simple law of physics, relating to weight and mass. The flat longbow has a heavy, long limb and a short, light riser. The motion of the long limb cannot be absorbed by the smaller riser, thus the hand shock. When compared to the longbow, the recurve and take-down recurve limb is shorter and lighter with a larger and heavier riser; the shock of the lighter limb moving forward is absorbed by the riser, thus lessening the hand shock and giving the “soft feel”. Therefore, to lessen hand shock in a longbow, you can do one or a combination of a few things. You can shorten the bow, use a reflex/deflex design, or use a heavier (more dense) riser.
